Apparatus for exterminating insects



June 21, P E TRAc I APPARATUS FOR EXTERMINATING INSECTS Filed May 18, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 1.

June 21, 193.2. P. TRACY ,863,584

APPARATUS FOR. EXTERMINATIJNG INSECTS Filed May 18, 1931 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Patented June 21, 1932 UNITE STATES PRATT E. TRACY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AIR-WAY ELECTRIC APPLIANCE CORPORATION, OE TOLEDO, OHIQ, A CORFGRATION OF OHIO APPARATUS FOR EXTEBMINATING INSECTS Application filed May 18,

This invention relates to insect-destroying devices but more particularly to lethal chambers in which articles, particularly of a household nature, may be treated for destroying in-' sects, such as moths, and an object is to provide a receptacle engageable with a supporting surface for providing a lethal chamber and which is adapted to form a substantially gas tight seal with such surface for militating against the escape of gas from the chamber.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear, and for purposes of illustration an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bag dis posed in position of use showing a portable vacuum cleaner arranged to inject a lethal material into the bag for insect-exterminating purposes;

Figure 2 is a. perspective view of the bag shown in Figure 1 with a portion of a side wall broken'away to show the sealing flap inside the bag;

5 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a corner portion of the bag showing the flap secured thereto;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a side wall portion of the bag with the flap positioned to form an air pocket around the bag mouth; and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an open mouth bag 10, the top and side walls of which are imperforate except for nozzle-receiving openings 11 which are in this instance formed in the side walls and adapted to be automatically closed by valve flaps 12 disposed on the inner side of the bag when the nozzle is removed. The bag which may be of any suitable size, is inverted or drawn over one or more articles such as furniture, clothing, rugs, etc., from which it is desired to annihilate or destroy insects, such as moths, or of a pestiferous nature, un-

til the mouth contacts with a supporting surface such as a rug, floor or supporting sheet as shown and described in the copending application of Frederick Riebel, J12, entitled Insect exterminating method and apparatus therefor, filed May 13,1931, Ser. No. 536,974. Projecting laterally at substantially right angles to the bag walls are flaps 13, which are adapted to rest upon the supporting sur face, and may be held in bag-closing contact therewith by books B, or any other suitable object-s, books being shown as being objects which are available to the housewife, and which lend themselves admirably for the purpose.

The bag 10 may be of any desired material, such as paper, but, preferably, the material should be such as to render the bag selfsustaining, although of sufficient flexibility to enable it to be collapsed. By making the bag collapsible it can be folded after being used, and put away until its use is againdesired, it being manifest that the bag can'be reused any number of times.

After the bag has been arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 1 with the flaps 13 held in place against the supporting surface,

a. lethal material is injected into the bag through a nozzle N of a portable vacuum cleaner as shown in Fig. 1. The vacuum cleaner has an open-ended tubular handle L through which a current of air is created by a fan driven by an electric motor M. The air current passes out through a hose H which carries the nozzle N. Comminuted lethal material in a container T is gradually fed to the air current which carries it along,-

finally discharging itthrough the nozzle N. Detail description of this apparatus is given in the copending application of Frederick Riebel, 511, Serial No. 268,132, filed April 7 1928.

The lethal material is injected inside the bag in a granularor pulverulent form but shortly is transformed into a gas and in order to militate against the escape of gas from the bag, an air seal is formed about the bag mouth providing an insulation entirely around the portion of the bag in contact with the supporting surface. For that purpose a strip or flap 1 preferably of paper or similar sheet material extends around the inside of the bag and is secured by a line of adhesive 15 to the inside of the bag walls.

As shown, the strip 14 is of one piece and is joined to the bag walls a substantial distance from the fold lines of the closure flaps 13. The strip 14 should preferably extend slightly beyond the fold lines of the flaps 13 in normal position against the bag walls so that when the bag is placed in position of use it is flexed inclinedly inwardly with the lower edge engaging the supporting surface. WVhen in this position an air chamber 16 is provided around the walls and in the region of the mouth of the bag. It is manifest that for the gas to escape from the inside of the bag through the mouth it must first pass through the air chamber 16 which therefore acts as a seal and effectively militates against escape in that region. Thus the gas may be retained within the bag and accomplish its purpose without material loss due to leakage.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and choice of materials may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth bag adapted to be drawn over an article, means for holding the bag mouth in contact with a supporting surface, and means extending around the bag walls for forming with a supporting surface and adjacent walls an air seal when the bag is in position of use.

2. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth bag adapted to be drawn over an article, lateral extensions projecting around the mouth of the bag adapted to contact a supporting surface, and flap means extending around the inside of the bag walls for forming with a supporting surface and adjacent walls an air seal when the bag is in position of use. p

3. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth paper bag adapted to be drawn over an article, lateral extensions projecting around the mouth of the bag adapted to contact a supporting surface, flap means extending around the bag walls adapted to provide with a supporting surface and adjacent walls an air pocket when the bag is in position of use, and adapted to be held against the supporting surface by weighted means. i

4. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth receptacle adapted to be drawn over an article until the mouth thereof contacts with a supporting surface, flexible flap means secured to and extending completely around the bag walls, and means se curing one end of said flap means to the walls, the lower edge of said flap being free and adapted to extend away from the bag walls for engagement with the supporting surface for providing a continuous air chamber around the bag mouth.

5. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth receptacle adapted to be drawn over an article until the mouth thereof contacts with a supporting surface, flexible flap means secured to and extending completely around the inside of the bag Walls, and means securing one end of said flap means to the bag walls, the lower edge of said flap means being free and adapted to extend away from the bag walls for engagement with the supporting surface for providing a continuous air chamber around the bag mouth.

6. An article of manufacture comprising anopen mouth receptacle adapted to be drawn over an article until the mouth thereof contacts with a supporting surface, flexible flap means secured to and extending completely around the inside of the bag walls, means securing one end of said flap means to the bag walls, the lower edge of said flap means being free and adapted to extend away from the bag walls for engagement with the supporting surface for providing a continuous air chamber around the bag mouth, and flap means extending outwardly of the bag mouth for engagement with the supporting surface.

7. An article of manufacture comprising an open mouth bag adapted to be drawn over an article, means projecting outwardly from the lower edge of the bag and adapted to receive weighted means for holding the bag in contact with a supporting surface, and means extending around the bag walls for forming with a supporting surface and adjacent walls an air seal when the bag is in position of use.

eIn testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name to this specification.

PRATT E. TRACY, 

